Perinatal Epidermal Growth Factor Signal Perturbation Results in the Series of Abnormal Auditory Oscillations and Responses Relevant to Schizophrenia

Abstract Auditory neurophysiological responses, such as steady-state event-related potential P300/P3, and phase-amplitude coupling, are promising translational biomarkers for schizophrenia, but their molecular underpinning is poorly understood. Focusing on ErbB receptor signals that implicated in both schizophrenia auditory processing/cognition, we explored the causal biological links between these traits with an experimental intervention into rats. We peripherally challenged rat pups one of amniotic ligands, epidermal growth factor (EGF), characterized its consequence series electrocorticographic measures. brainstem responses (ABRs) cortical ON were also assessed under anesthesia to estimate influence higher brain regions. An paradigm revealed attenuation spectral power phase synchrony 40-Hz stimuli EGF-challenged observed a reduction duration mismatch negativity-like potentials delay P3a all which relevant reported pathophysiological patients schizophrenia. Moreover, perinatal EGF challenges resulted enhanced theta-alpha/beta theta-gamma coupling within cortex changes ABRs. However, retained normal ranges potentially ruling out fundamental deficits. Perinatal exposure ligand rats strikingly reproduced whole aberrant oscillations previously Accordingly, findings suggest developmental deficits ErbB/EGF signaling might be involved pathophysiology associated